Grizzlies' stagnant effort ends in OT loss to Cleveland Cavaliers

Cavs make statement with strong effort vs. Griz

Cleveland Cavaliers' Luol Deng (9), from Sudan, shoots between Memphis Grizzlies' Zach Randolph, left, and Marc Gasol, from Spain, in the first half of an NBA basketball game on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

CLEVELAND — This wasn’t the same Cleveland Cavaliers squad that infamously lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in a game in which all but four Lakers fouled out.

This wasn’t the same Cleveland squad that recently fired its general manager for a string of bad draft choices, poor team chemistry and a swoon that produced losses in eight of its previous 10 games.

If the Cavaliers are supposed to be a beleaguered bunch, they sure didn’t look the part. The Grizzlies met an opponent ready to prove Sunday night it intends to fight the rest of this regular season.

Forward Zach Randolph left with proof in the form of a bandage covering three stitches under his left eye, and the Grizzlies exited Quicken Loans Arena on Sunday night with a 91-83 overtime loss to the Cavs that cut a little deeper.

Memphis found a way to shoot worse, turn the ball over more and routinely demonstrate what it means to be stagnant on offense. This, on a night when the Grizzlies’ defense was good enough to hold the Cavs to 39.8-percent shooting, force 14 turnovers and allow just 78 points through four quarters.

“They wanted it more,” Griz guard Nick Calathes said after scoring a team-high 17 points. “That should never be the case. Every game means everything for us.”

The Griz fell 2½ games behind Golden State for the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoff standings. The bottom half of the West playoff seeds are starting to shuffle, but the Griz are what their offense was against the Cavs: stagnant.

Memphis (27-23) is three games behind Dallas and Phoenix, which sit seventh and sixth, respectively.

“Man, this one hurts,” said Randolph, who received an inadvertent elbow to the face in the second quarter but returned after getting sewed up at halftime.

Randolph finished with 14 points but he didn’t score after scoring six quick points to start the third period. The Griz didn’t get much production from the post, with Randolph going 6 of 16 and Marc Gasol shooting 3 of 11. Cleveland’s big men did a solid job of battling for position and holding Memphis to a season-low-tying 32 points in the paint. Cavs forward Anderson Varejao was particularly active against Randolph with forceful play in the paint.

“Varejao did a really good job,” Griz coach Dave Joerger said. “He fronted and banged and pushed our guys off their spots.”

The Griz need Courtney Lee to take pressure off the post, but he made just 4 of 15 shots. Memphis didn’t generate many easy scoring opportunities in transition and 15 turnovers derailed a number of possessions at critical moments.

“We’ve got to do something with all five guys, not always depend on our horse down there,” Griz forward Tayshaun Prince. “We can’t allow Zach to always be our hero. It puts us in a tough spot and it puts him in a tough spot.”

As the game changed

The Griz fell behind by 14 points in the second period but climbed back and went into the fourth quarter trailing 59-58. Ugly and low-scoring usually work well for the Griz. They even led 78-76 late in the fourth quarter after James Johnson scored 13 straight points to wipe out a nine-point deficit.

But Varejao stripped the ball away from Johnson on a drive to the basket and fed Kyrie Irving in transition.

Irving knotted the score at 78 with a layup while he was hacked at the rim. He missed the free throw so the score remained tied as the Griz reclaimed possession with 16.7 seconds left.

But Randolph lost the ball as he dribbled across the lane for a running hook. Cleveland’s Dion Waiters’ 33-foot heave for the win was no good as the fourth-quarter buzzer sounded.

Cleveland owned the extra period by outscoring Memphis 13-5. The Cavs made 4 of 6 shots while the Griz went 2 of 9.

The other guys

Irving tossed in a game-high 28 points and Waiters added 18 off the bench to help the Cavs earn their second straight win after losing six straight.

“Everybody was putting too much pressure on themselves,” Irving said. “We needed to go out there and play basketball. Going out there the last two games, whether the game gets tight or gets away from you, it should be fun.”

That’s what he said

“We slogged in the mud at the start, which you can’t do on the road.” — Joerger, blaming the Grizzlies’ poor first half for the loss.

By the numbers

2-2: Griz record in overtime games this season. This was the fifth Griz OT game against Cleveland.

.416: Griz shooting percentage in four games since Mike Conley suffered an ankle injury